My Only Summer
by youngimbecile
Summary: He was everything I wasn't and everything I wanted. He terrified me and he thrilled me, and so did his lifestyle. I couldn't have walked away, even if I tried. After all, he was my only summer. Warning: drug use, sexual references, violence.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Beautiful Poet**

_He was everything I wasn't and everything I wanted. He terrified me and he thrilled me, and so did his lifestyle. I couldn't have walked away, even if I tried. After all, he was my only summer. _

"I confess I kinda like it that you're innocent. Keeping up your guard."

My alarm clock went off at 6am playing to the most obnoxious pop song I'd ever heard. With an angry grunt, I shut it off and rolled over to stare at the ceiling. The brown ceiling pattern had always reminded me of when I was in 6th Grade when we went on excursion to the rainforest. It had been raining all day and the mud on the forest floor was a brilliant brown colour.

I wriggled uncomfortably on the gold satin bed sheets before finally I decided to get ready for my 7am shift at Sonic Boom, much to my dismay. I wasn't entirely sure why a music shop would open at 7 am, considering how slow business usually is in the mornings.

Walking to my wardrobe, I admired how the wallpaper complimented the rest of the room so well, giving it a warm feeling. On my right was the balcony, its breath-taking view of Miami shone through the large glass doors. Past the tall buildings, I could see the ocean glistening in the morning sun. I could hear the bustle from the streets below and the murmur of people's conversations carrying through the wind. They were all so focused on their own lives, barely noticing the freshly cut grass and blooming flowers. Sometimes I felt as if we're all trying too hard to survive, instead of trying to live.

I made my way to the other side of the room, my hands briefly glided across the walls as I searched for the light switch to my walk-in wardrobe. The cosy room lit up, and I was welcomed by my reflection in the mirror. My loose red t-shirt hung from my petite frame, while my natural curls bounced just below my shoulders, ranging from brown to a light chestnut colour, although they were currently a mess. My short legs were covered by white pyjama shorts. I gave a tired frown as I looked at my pale skin and skinny face.

I grabbed a dark blue singlet and black skinny jeans to change into after my shower. I skipped to the shower and let out a sigh of relief as soon as the warm water hit my body. By six thirty, I had changed into my clothes, fixed my hair and applied a small amount of mascara and foundation. Slipping on my wedges, I bounced down the stairs for breakfast. I slid across the wooden floors of the hallway, admiring the countless photos of family and friends on the wall. I let out a sigh of defeat as I saw one of my favourite photos of my best friend, Trish and I. At the time, this was one of the main reasons I hated the summer holidays - I missed spending every day with my friends. Trish and I have been friends for as long as I could remember. Despite her tough exterior - she has always been there for me, even when I didn't know that I needed her. I really wanted to spend some time with her and I kind of wanted some English homework as well. Despite popular opinion, I enjoyed school work and couldn't wait to go back.

I greeted my father as the smell of his pancakes hit my nostrils. He was still in his pyjamas, his tight shirt stretching over his plump belly. In recent years, his usually dark hair had started to switch to more of a grey at the roots.

"Ally, are you okay?" he asked with a glint of concern in his eyes.

"Yes, I'm fine, just tired" I smiled weakly; we went through this routine almost every morning.

"Did you get enough sleep? Too much partying?" he teased with a devious smile.

"Mmm totally," I mused.

Lucky for him, I had higher standards than that - my idea of fun wasn't underage drinking, snorting illicit substances and getting impregnated. I was one of those awkward types that would rather stay home and read then go to wild parties.

"Don't worry; I'll be sure to call you when my IQ is low enough to trip over."

Kissing his cheek goodbye, I took my pancakes to-go and arrived at Sonic Boom sixteen and a half minutes early.

While opening the store, I begrudgingly hummed the tune to the irritating pop song. Like usual I was alone in the store. That was until I felt warm hands grasp my arm. I was so startled that a scream left my lips. When I flipped around, I was surprised even more. He wasn't exactly what I expected. He was definitely hot and awfully familiar too. His blonde hair was an absolute mess, as if he has been rolling around all night. Standing at 6 foot, his rough demeanour demanded respect; his black shirt was so torn and tattered it barely covered his body. I could see the sweat forming on his temples. I winced, he smelt bad. Really bad. It was a mixture between perspiration, dirt and the blood covering his knuckles and cheeks. Before I could even ask about the state he was in, words tumbled from his burnt lips:

"I need a f*cking guitar. Do you work here?"

Of course I detested his foul language but somehow he made it sound like beautiful poetry. Although, what surprised me even more was his blood-shot eyes that couldn't quite focus on me. Was he...Was he stoned? Oh great.

I suddenly felt nervous, "I… um…I..."

"Look baby, I just really need a fender telecaster blacktop Hh, preferably with a rosewood fretboard."

My eyes widened at his blatant disrespect and shitty attitude, "I might be able to help you, if you let go of my arm."

His eyes flicked down to my arm, a look of guilt crossing his face, "Uh… sorry."

I guided him over to the guitar racks, "Why are you in such a hurry anyway?"

"You wouldn't understand and I'm glad of that."

I faced him as soon as I heard the pain in his voice, I furrowed my eyebrows; not quite understanding. I kept staring at him, probably for too long. Despite probably - most likely - being stoned, it didn't deter from the fact that his eyes were a beautiful brown, like melted chocolate.

He smirked sexily and raised his eyebrows, "The guitar?"

I felt a blush creeping up my neck, "Oh right…"

I grabbed the guitar that he wanted off the rack.

"It's a black tele design, is that okay?"

"Perfect."

He pulled out a large wad of cash from his ripped blue jeans and handed me the correct amount, before running out the door. I went to put the money in the register. I couldn't help but smile at the incredibly cute but incredibly stoned, blonde who had just interrupted my morning.

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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: I've got a War in my Mind**

The rest of my shift passed by quickly and that annoying pop song only came on the radio five times. I wasn't entirely sure what to do for the rest of the day, another reason why I despised the summer holidays.

My saving grace came in the form of a 5 foot tall seventeen year old girl. Trish De le Rosa was one of the most important people in my life, mainly because she gave my free cupcakes from Cupcake City. Although, I've always strongly suspected the cupcakes had briefly been on the floor. With her sassy and often bossy attitude she certainly makes an interesting friend. Her inability to keep a job always managed to keep me entertained. She had been working at Cupcake city for a grand total of 72 hours and I was so proud of her for lasting that long.

"I didn't even hear him come in, he literally just grabbed my arm and demand I serve him, I don't think we've ever had a customer that rude," I recalled the experience to Trish over burnt vanilla cupcakes.

"And after he left you called the police and they arrested him for smoking pot, right? And for assaulting you?" Trish wasn't a perfect friend, but she was certainly loyal and was always worried about my safety.

"Um no, not exactly."

"Ally!" she sighed, "He could have been a stoner-axe-murderer. You never know with those people."

I furrowed my eyebrows, stoner-axe-murderer? Sometimes I questioned where she came up with these things. I knew she had good intentions, but it was really hard to take her seriously when vanilla icing covered at least half of her long, curly hair.

"He didn't seem like he would hurt me intentionally, maybe he was just stressed?" I mused while picking at the brown sprinkles on my vanilla cupcake. Well I hoped they were sprinkles.

I could feel Trish's eyes boring into me.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"He was cute, wasn't he? The blonde guy?" she smirked.

I could feel my cheeks heating, this girl knew me far too well.

"Well, I guess… Maybe if he didn't have bloodshot eyes and actual blood on his face he would be… average."

I prayed that she wouldn't see me blushing, but of course my pale skin betrayed me.

"Ally! Oh my gosh. You have a thing for drug addicts, don't you? Bad boys? I should have known. I could have prevented this! I have failed you as a friend!" she shouted as she dramatically fell to the floor.

I frantically shushed her, while trying not to laugh myself.

"Trish, I think you're being a little overdramatic. I don't even know his name!"

"But we could find out his name. He looked like a stoner right? Sweaty? Up at 7am? I bet he'd be at the Stoner's Beach Club," she said, already moving to her feet.

Shredder's Beach Club, also known as Stoner's Beach Club, was basically the illegal drug trade of Miami hotspot. Stoners typically hung out at the beach club, while dealers did what they do best in the dark corners. I wouldn't have been surprised if he was there, business usually bloomed during summer.

"Trish! Are you insinuating that we go to SBC and look for a random guy, whom I met once and, quoting you, is probably a "stoner-axe-murder?" I said staring up at her, once again trying to stifle my laughter.  
>"You know I was just kidding about that! I highly doubt that he's a murderer. I just want you to be careful, since you think he's gorgeous," she teased.<p>

I rolled my eyes. That was so typical of Trish.

Luckily, Trish dropped the subject and instead spent the drive to Champy's Sports Grill complaining about her new boss.

"Everyone is just so demanding! Of course I dropped a cupcake but I'm only human! Those vanilla cupcakes were slippery."

She ranted the whole drive, with a lot of hand gestures which made me fear for my life, seeing as she was the one driving. I cringed, I really regretted eating those vanilla cupcakes, those definitely weren't sprinkles.

It was only just passing 2pm when Trish and I ordered our drinks. I was enjoying the time away from work and appreciated Trish's efforts to entertain me. Before I could thank her, Trish started kicking me under the table.

"Oh my gosh, do you see those guys over there?" she said frantically.

Following her gaze, I saw two teenage boys sitting next to an empty chair. One of them was tall with ginger hair and freckles; the other was wearing a leather jacket and had black hair. They were talking quite loudly about a party they were hosting tonight. They seemed kind of dodgy and I think I caught them staring at us twice. I was seriously worried about Trish's judge of character if she thought _they_ were attractive, all things considered.

"We should go!" Trish exclaimed excitedly. I think she was trying, and failing, to whisper.

"Go where?" I questioned.

"To the party! Can't you hear them? They said it's an open house party, it's near Stoner's Beach!"

She was so excited that she spilt a little of her diet coke onto the table.

"Trish, please calm down," I pleaded as I attempted to clean up the coke with the napkins on our table.

"Why on earth would we go to a party? Especially one near Stoner's Beach! We won't know anyone there!"

"It's going to be the hottest party of the year, Ally! When was the last time you went to the hottest party of the year?"

"Um, never. Why would I want to?"

I thought this would be a reasonable answer, but according to the eye roll Trish gave me - it wasn't.

"We never do anything fun or crazy! We're going to the party tonight. You need to accept it." Trish claimed, as she got up from our table and stomped over to the register.

Rolling my eyes at her antics, I followed her.

"Trish, you can't be serious about this," I paused. "Aren't you working tonight anyway?"

She thought for a few seconds, "Oh… yeah."

Finally. I was getting through to her.

"Oh well, I can miss a shift, they won't care," Trish shrugged.

"They're going to fire you, Trish!" I said hopelessly, although she was already halfway out the door.

I was tempted to walk away childishly and just forget about the party. However, Trish was my ride home so I reluctantly hopped into her car, just as she was turning on the ignition.

"Well, I guess I'm just going to have to go the party without you," Trish raised her eyebrows in faux annoyance.

I huffed; she knew perfectly well that I wouldn't let her go by herself. After all, I couldn't anything to happen to her.

"Fine, you win!" I sighed defeated.

"Yay," Trish beamed in triumph, with a devious glint in her eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Sparkling and Broken

I was feeling agitated and undoubtedly frustrated. We had been at the party for merely 15 minutes and I had already lost Trish. Whilst looking around the party a sinking feeling began to settle in my stomach – I knew absolutely no one. I was completely sober and I already wanted to puke.

The atmosphere was so dark and heavy that it felt suffocating. The faceless bodies sparkled from sweat as they moved to the beat of the music, whilst dousing their issues in copious amounts of alcohol. I guess it must have seemed like a saviour amongst their demons. Sparkling bodies and broken hearts.

I was debating on whether I should call my father to come pick me up; somehow I don't think he would have been too pleased, considering I told him I was sleeping over Trish's house. I hated lying to him but I didn't want to disappoint Trish either. Trish and I had been best friends since we met in kindergarten, even as a child she was always looking out for me. Although, sometimes I felt like she deserved a friend that's more fun and outgoing. I felt bad that I hadn't been to too many parties with her, since she loved them so much. Actually, I hadn't been to _any_ parties at all, unless you count the back-to-school night, which I attended every year.

I was about to call Trish for the fourth time, when a smooth voice interrupted me:

"Hi, is everything okay?"

I looked up hesitantly at the sound. He had subtle blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean after a violent storm. His medium brown hair was styled in a quiff.

"Yeah… um… everything's fine. I just can't find my friend," I smiled weakly.

"Don't stress, you can hang out with me. I'm Elliot by the way," he smiled.

"I'm Ally… uh no, it's okay. I was just about to leave," I drawled nervously.

I couldn't help but feel intimidated by his good looks and the fact that he was at least a foot taller than me.

"So soon? Come on, I could show you a good time. Just one drink, that's all I ask, Ally," he pleaded.

Ignoring the way he looked at me, I thought about the countless things that could go wrong if I agreed to his proposal. What if he wanted to… dance with me after one drink? I can't dance, I really can't dance. Or worse, what if he wanted to inseminate me? I couldn't do that, I wouldn't do that. What if he pressures me into taking drugs? I could already see my future – I'd end up as a single mother, working on the corner to pay for my addiction. Dad would cry at the life I was forced to live and the baby would probably be crying too. I'm not ready for this; I'm barely ready to graduate high school.

I looked at him; his dazzling smile demanded me to be dazzled. Who was I to deny such an invitation? After all, it was just one drink.

"Fine, but only one drink," I warned.

He beamed, "As you wish. Follow me."

He guided me into the house, the stench of body odour and alcohol stronger than outside. As we entered the threshold of the kitchen, Elliot was greeted by the small cluster of people that had formed around the beverages. I continued to stand at the entrance of the kitchen, unsure of what to do.

They tossed greetings like, "Hey man, how are you?" and "Elliot, where have you been?"

After Elliot had returned the greetings, he spun on his heel to face me.

"Guys, this is Ally," he introduced.

There were about four of them – two girls, two guys with a few others lingering around. I immediately recognised the two guys as the ones Trish and I had seen at Champy's Sports Grill. The two girls, with considerably larger assets than mine, smiled weakly.

They offered polite smiles and pleasantries, seeming like fairly nice people although they had obviously been drinking.

Just as Elliot was grabbing a drink for me, I felt someone place their hand on my lower back, lightly urging me forward.

"Excuse me."

I craned my neck at the familiar voice, he looked much better than he did early this morning, if that was even possible. His bleach blonde hair was mussed around but still had a stylish quality to it. He wore a dark blue loose fit singlet and black skinny jeans. As he looked down at me, he stopped urging me forward and let his hand rest of the small of my back. He seemed a little surprised to see me, which was to be expected - this wasn't exactly my scene. His breath warmed my face, smelling strongly of Jack Daniels and nicotine.

"Hi there. Long time, no see," he smirked playfully.

"Hi–"

I was cut off by Elliot ushering me into the next room, "Come on, Ally. I have your drink."

"Wait. You two know each other?" blondie questioned, narrowing his eyes on Elliot.

"We do now," Elliot shrugged, before almost carrying me into the next room.

My head was pounding and limbs aching, I was awake but I wasn't quite sure of my surroundings. I stirred on the bed, in a weak attempt to wake myself up more. My mouth was uncomfortably dry and I desperately needed water. I blindly felt across the wood of my bedside table for my bottled water that was usually there. Coming up short, I opened my eyes further. My bedside table, which was usually a dark brown, was instead a plain white. My eyes widened in realisation - I wasn't in my room.

It suddenly became aware to me that there was a warm body beside me. My eyes widened when I realised Blondie - whose name I couldn't remember learning - was the one lying in the bed beside me. I stifled a scream, not wanting to wake him up and endure the awkward situation.

I looked around the room, not recognising it at all. The room was plain and quite large, the basic furniture made me think that I may be in an apartment. The walls were a simple cream colour but it had such an unique and effective texture that made me want to run my fingers over it. The soft, fluffy carpet was a rich golden honey colour. The bed faced large windows that displayed the Miami Beach skyline, framed by cream curtains. Out the window, I could see the rooftops of the surrounding buildings.

I started to panic, despite my efforts to calm myself down. I remember thinking: where am I? How did I get here? Better yet, why is Blondie lying in bed with me? There was a small sliver of hope as I noticed that we were both fully clothed. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I attempted to remove myself from the bed without waking him up. As my feet met the carpeted floor, a cockroach scurried across my path and headed for the door. I couldn't help letting out a horrified grunt, despite my previous cautions to leave the apartment silently. I reluctantly faced the blonde, who had undoubtedly woken up. He was suffering from a bad case of bed hair, but still managed to make it look like the latest trend.

Not in the mood for chit-chat, I cut to the chase, "What happened? Where am I? Why were we in… bed together?"

A look of sympathy crossed his features, "What's the last thing you remember?"

I rubbed my eyes to ease my pounding head, unfortunately to no avail. Dropping my slackened arms, I thought back to the last thing that I could remember: Elliot.

"We were in the kitchen and Elliot got a drink for me. I remember bits and pieces of the night but most of it's a blur. I don't remember learning your name though."

I gulped, not liking the fact that I didn't have too many memories of last night. Anything could have happened to me and I wouldn't have a clue.

"It's Austin," he smiled weakly.

He stared at me for a little while, like he was struggling with something. I raised my eyes, urging him to tell me the events of last night.

"Austin? What happened?" I pressed my lips together, worried that the truth might hurt more than never knowing. But I guess that's how life is, isn't it? You can pretend that the world is perfect; pretend that people aren't greedy, violent, racist, vulgar, sexist, hateful. Pretending it's not there doesn't make it any less true though; you can't hide from the truth.

"Are you sure you wanna know?"

I didn't hesitate, "Of course."

"I didn't know it at first but Elliot spiked your drink: roofies. I think he was hoping for some action. You had been with Elliot for more than half an hour, when I heard someone talking about what he had done to your drink. I couldn't let him take advantage of you so I went to find you. He had taken you upstairs to one of the bedrooms. Luckily, you were only making out and I think he got a little under-the-shirt action. I'm really sorry, Ally. I got you out of there as fast as I could. I didn't know where to take you so I took you back here, to my place. You were a little clingy but I managed to resist your advances, but you insisted that I sleep beside you," he managed to look sincere, up until the last few sentences when he proudly smirked.

Ignoring his smirk, I breathed deeply, "Okay, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Thank you for helping me, I really appreciate your kindness. Is that everything?"

"Actually no, you kept telling me that my biceps looked really good in my singlet," he smiled deviously.

I froze, my cheeks heating up by the second. I don't think I would have said that to him, but I was drugged. Ugh, who knows what I was declaring to him?

I wasn't entirely sure how to reply but I managed to squeak out some words, "Uh… well… I was drugged, remember?"

"Mmm, I remember, Ally," he still continued to smirk as he leaned back with his hands behind his head.

I tried to ignore the way my name rolled off his tongue sensually, I wasn't sure if I could be around him anymore without blushing. I attempted to move towards the door, despite the fact that I had no idea what part of town I was in or how I was going to get home.

"Um well, I think I better get going. Thanks for everything, Austin."

"Ally, wait—"

I didn't hear what he was going to say, I had already reached the door and was out of the apartment.

Once in the elevator, I hit the ground level button, noticing that I was on the top floor. The large doors closed and the elevator started to descend. I attempted to form a plan in my mind: firstly I'll find out where I am, if I'm close to home then I'll just walk. If not, I'll ask the lady at reception if I could use their phone to call my Dad… or Trish. Trish was probably a safer option.

The elevator started to slow and the lights above indicated that someone also needed to use the elevator. My breath caught in my throat as the doors swung open and revealed Austin standing in front of me, breathing heavily.

"I took the stairs to… catch up with you… I'm taking you home."

He stepped inside the elevator, his minty scent invading my senses.

"Are you? Do I get a say in this?" I raised my eyebrows amused, trying not to smile.

"No, you do not," he winked playfully.

He leaned over me to press the ground level button, running his hand down my arm at the same time. I looked at him, confused. The button was glowing red; I had clearly already pressed it.

"I had already-"

"I know, baby. I'm just making sure."

I was starting to think that his smirk was permanently installed on his face.  
>"Was that a… Was that an excuse to touch me?" I rolled my eyes, he was so shameless. He didn't answer but I didn't need him to.<p>

I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about the nickname 'baby' that he seemed to have given me. I don't think I could ever get used to that.

**Authors Note: Thank you for all the support, we really appreciate it x**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: Ally expresses some opinions in this chapter, it's not meant to offend anyone and I'm sorry if it does. But I needed to write it, I think it's important.**

Chapter 4: Full-time baby

The drive back to my house was less horrifying than I expected. Austin liked to play the radio very loud, which was certainly not helping my impending headache. Despite my refusal to think about why I felt awful, these thoughts still prodded to the surface. I was angry, but mostly I was ashamed. As soon as a pretty boy smiled my way, I was willing to go against all my morals. I thought I was better than that. I didn't know him, therefore I shouldn't have agreed to that "one drink".

Looking out the window, I watched the Miami streets pass by. The palm trees swayed in the breeze, the children laughed and played. Inside the car, the radio pulsed out another familiar pop song about how sexually appealing Californian girls are.

I scoffed, "Oh wow, how inspirational."

Austin's eyebrows furrowed, "What are you going on about?"

"The song! It's degrading and revolting if you ask me."

His eyes widened as if he just realised there was even a song playing on the radio.

Fumbling over the radio switches, he said, "We don't have to listen to this."

"That's fine by me, it was probably written by a bunch of drug dealers… with misogynistic views."

He changed the station to one playing old rock songs.

I noticed the amused look on his face, "Tell me more about these 'misogynistic views '"

I tried to hide my amazement; he actually wanted to listen to my spiel.

I blushed, "I don't think you want to hear it."

"Try me."

"Okay, but don't complain."

"I would never, baby."

I ignored his comment and began to talk about how in this particular song they were praising women wearing tight shirts and short shorts, when in reality women are typically scorned for this:  
>"Not all men, but a number of them think egotistical thoughts when they see women dressing the way they want – they think 'I'm enjoying what I see, but I'm completely above you and will scorn you, as you are obviously a slut.' It's not just men though either, women are slut-shaming and I have absolutely no idea why.<br>"I don't understand how a woman wearing particular clothing could possibly indicate that she has various sexual partners and low self-respect. And so what if one does have various sexual partners? It's no one else's business but hers. Honestly, if it's hot outside - most girls want to wear shorts and I don't think that there's anything wrong with that."

I turned to Austin and noticed that his eyebrows were raised in an appreciative manner.

"Wow, I'm impressed. After all that, would you hate me if I said I was fond of that song?"

"Yes, most definitely," I joked.

A flash of guilt passed across his face, so fast that I thought I must have imagined it. His usual smirk returned immediately after.

"Well then, it's a good thing I hated that song."

I furrowed my eyebrows, not sure what to make of his behaviour.

My uncertainty was interrupted as Austin pulled into McDonalds. _He sure knew how to treat a girl right._

"I'll have a coffee and an egg mcmuffin," I announced, while looking at the menu.

"And how do you expect to pay for that?" Austin raised his eyebrows amused.

I turned to him and although his eyes were obscured by black sunglasses, the infamous smirk was back.

My intelligent response consisted of: "Uhhhh", "Ohh" and "Urmm." I felt humiliated that I had automatically assumed he was treating me to breakfast.

He took off his glasses, the amused glint to his eyes clearly evident.

"I'll accept cash or credit, baby. Or if there's any other way you want to repay me… I'm sure I'll be up for it," he ended the sentence with a wink.

A wink? Was this guy even real?

We were interrupted by a woman's voice through the receiver, "Hi, please place your order when you're ready."

"Hey, how are you? Can I have two large cappuccinos, two egg mcmuffins, hotcakes and a bottle of water?" Austin asked and continued around the corner to the next window.

"Hotcakes?" I asked looking over at him. "Really?"

"Those things are delicious and I'm starving," he said, suddenly defensive.

I couldn't stop the grin that was spreading across my face.

I tried to imitate his husky voice but failed miserably, "There's no need to be embarrassed, _baby_."

He rolled his eyes, but clearly thought it was amusing as well.

"You don't have to pay me back for the food; as long as you talk like that more often."

I couldn't help but laugh.

I gave him the directions to the area I lived in, just as we exited McDonalds.

"So, Ally, how old are you?" he turned his head to meet my eyes.

"Eighteen. You?"

"Nineteen."

"A rich older man, huh? Every girl's dream."

"'A rich older man' usually suggests one at least twenty years senior. A year hardly fulfils those connotations."

Feeling impudent I said, "What if I said I found rich older men sexy? Could we alter the connotations for my benefit?"

I wasn't sure why I said it, nor why I felt the need to see his reaction. I decided to blame it on a lapse of judgement due to the pure bliss of my egg mcmuffin.

His eyes widened as he looked me up and down for a few moments, "Are you flirting with me, Ally? I am absolutely horrified."

I laughed, "I think you'll find that you are mistaken. I was merely partaking in whimsical conversation about rich older men."

"Whimsical? Say it again. It gets me hot when you talk like that."

I rolled my eyes, "Now you're flirting with me."

He smirked, "But I like flirting with you. How could I resist not making you blush? It's cute."

Instead I frowned; I was letting this go way too far. I barely knew this guy and I was flirting with him. I wasn't one to flirt and could see myself regretting this later.

"Stop it," I said softly.

"Never…," he stopped abruptly once he noticed my sudden apprehensiveness.

"Ally, what's wrong? You okay?"

I sighed, realising why I was flirting with him - how could I _not_? Despite his intimidating demeanour, he was effortlessly kind. I didn't answer his question, knowing that I couldn't muster up a lie. I turned away from him and looked out the window. We were approaching my neighbourhood and I wasn't entirely sure what to do: _Should I get him to drop me off at my house? I guess it doesn't really matter if he knows where I live. I hardly know him but he hasn't caused me any harm yet. My Dad should be at work but it's still a risk. What if he got sick and decided to stay home today?_ Letting my paranoia overthrow any other decision, I told Austin to drop me off at the park that was just up ahead.

"The park? Do you live at the park?" He asked, clearly amused.

"Well… no..." I stuttered.

He raised his eyebrows encouraging me to continue, when I didn't elaborate he said, "You don't trust me, Ally?"

"That's not the only thing I'm worried about but you've got to understand that I barely know you. I don't know your intentions."

"My intentions? I thought my intentions were pretty clear."

"Yeah… I mean, no. No, I have no idea," I stuttered.

He tried to contain his smile, "Honestly, I just want to make sure you get home safely."

I sighed, why did he have to be so annoyingly perfect?

"Fine," I pointed down the street, "My house is on the last street of the block."

As we turned onto the street, Austin asked if I wanted him to park a few houses down.

I replied with, "My Dad's at work so there's nothing to worry about."

The words "nothing to worry about" soon became false as we parked in front of my house. My best friend, Trish was waiting at my front door with a look of accusation across her face. She furrowed her eyebrows further at Austin sitting beside me in the car. To make matters worse, he sardonically raised his hand and waved. I slapped his hand away from the window and shot him an annoyed look. He didn't even bother to hide his grin.

I gathered myself to exit his car and gave him my gratitude, "Thanks for everything, Austin. I really appreciate it."

He smiled, "You're welcome. However, you do owe me a lot for _serving_ you multiple times…"

"Serving me?" I interrupted with a look of bewilderment.

I had a feeling he deliberately used those words, based on the way it sounded.

"Yes, serving you. I'll collect your debt sometime soon."

"My debt? What?" I wasn't entirely sure if I was still bewildered or just annoyed. It might have been a mixture of both.

"Yes, Ally. Stop repeating everything I say," he mockingly rolled his eyes, knowing exactly why I was repeating his words.

I sighed and opened the car door ready to leave.

Before I could walk away, Austin reached out to hand me a piece of paper.

"Here's my number, in case you want to be served again."

Without grabbing the piece of paper, I slammed the passenger door closed. Austin managed to keep a straight face the whole time but I could hear his muffled laughs from outside the car. I poked my tongue out at him andI reluctantly turned towards Trish. Her face began to soften the more I walked towards her.

"Ally, are you okay? I've been so worried; I've been calling you non-stop. Last night when I realised you weren't at the party, I went home and then came here early this morning. Where have you been? And most importantly, who is that?" Her hands were waving about as she gestured towards Austin's car, which was still parked on the curb.

I felt bad for not finding a way to let her know that I was okay. I could've used Austin's phone but I completely forgot about it. Then again, she did ditch me at my first party. It was a weak justification, but it eased my guilt slightly.

"I'm really sorry, Trish. I'll explain everything inside; I just really need some water and maybe an aspirin."

"Also… Um, Ally, I should probably tell you that when I came by this morning I ran into your Dad. He was a little surprised to see that you weren't with me, which was to be expected."

I started to panic; I couldn't imagine my Dad being overjoyed that I was at a party the night before. Not to mention, everything else that happened in the process.

"What?! What did you say to him? Trish!"

Before she could say anything, we heard feet scuffling up the driveway.

"Hold up, Ally!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Trish look at me accusingly. I cringed as I realised I would have to inform her about Austin. I raised my eyebrows at Austin, waiting for him to explain why he made an appearance.

He smirked, "You forgot my number."

I let out a groan; he just had to make everything harder. Without hesitation, I forced him to turn around and began pushing him back to his car.

His initial response was, "Ally, there's no need to get physical."

When we reached his car, I sulkily resorted to begging, "Austin, please. Not now."

He thought for a second, "So, when's a good time? Friday?"

I really wasn't in the mood for his games, "What are you talking about, Austin?"

Despite his serious face, I couldn't overlook the amusement in his eyes.

"Our date, of course."

I wasn't entirely surprised; of course Austin would ask me out on a date, without actually asking me out on a date.

"I'm not going on a date with you," I said with as much authority as I could.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at 4pm on Friday. Be ready and wear something comfortable."

He quickly jumped into his Toyota Camry, started the engine and drove down the street, leaving me confused and oddly flattered.


End file.
